Fighting Intensifies in Ukraine as Signs of Peace Fade

In the last two days, as a result of Russian air and artillery strikes in the Sumy and Kherson regions of Ukraine, at least two people have been killed and more than 30 injured. The Armed Forces of Ukraine shot down 76 of 104 Russian unmanned aerial vehicles, while Russian air defense shot down 21 Ukrainian drones. Russian forces have captured the settlement of Zaporozhskoye in the Dnipropetrovsk region, destroying Ukrainian equipment and suppressing firing points. Against this backdrop, the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has announced negotiations with the US to discuss a possible Kyiv-Moscow meeting. Germany, Norway, and Canada have promised to provide Kyiv with significant financial assistance.